Quotes of the day

posted at 9:30 pm on May 31, 2010 by Allahpundit

Those likely gains would seem to be good news for the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell (Ky.). But the prospects of Paul, Angle and other “true believers” in the Senate will almost certainly make it more difficult for McConnell to assert the rigid voting discipline that GOP strategists credit with bringing Republicans back from the brink of political extinction over the past 18 months…

It’s worth noting that GOP moderates — a dying breed in recent years — are likely to get reinforcements of their own. Reps. Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Mike Castle (Del.) built voting records in the House that placed them squarely at the center of that chamber, and it’s hard to see much changing if they are elected to the Senate. They would join the likes of Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and, increasingly, Scott Brown of Massachusetts in forming a legitimate — and powerful — moderate wing in the world’s greatest deliberative body.

***
On many issues, such as guns, taxes, and immigration, Southern and Western conservatives come out in the same place. They get there, however, by different means. The fundamental distinction is between a politics based on social and cultural issues and one based on economics. Southern conservatives care about government’s moral stance but don’t mind when it spends freely on behalf of their constituents. Western conservatives, by contrast, are soft-libertarians who want government out of people’s way on principle. Southern Republicans are guided by the Bible. Western Republicans read the Constitution. Seen in historical terms, it’s the difference between a movement descended from George Wallace and one that harks back to Barry Goldwater.
Advertisement

The GOP’s Western tone of recent months summons the ghosts of Goldwater’s disastrous but transformational presidential campaign of 1964. Goldwater didn’t care about religion—he was a Jewish Episcopalian who once said that Jerry Falwell deserved a kick in the nuts. He wasn’t focused on racial politics—there aren’t many black people in Arizona. What mattered to him was limiting government and preserving liberty. To Goldwater, political freedom was inseparable from economic freedom, a view distilled in his most famous phrase, “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” To call this politics Western is a matter of its Bonanza style as well as its anti-statist substance. Goldwater boasted a Navajo tattoo and liked flying planes, shooting guns, and playing the tables in Las Vegas. Western conservatism succeeded on a national scale when Ronald Reagan kept the cowboy look while easing up on Goldwater’s honorable, self-defeating consistency…

Palin and Beck are terrific entertainers and the Tea Party is a great show, all of which has made the conservative movement fun to watch lately. But cowboy-style constitutional fundamentalism is unlikely to prove a winning philosophy for Republicans beyond 2010. For that, they need a conservatism that hasn’t been in evidence lately—a version that’s not Western or Southern, but instead tolerant, moderate, and mainstream.

Playboy: Do you feel it’s fair to request a multibillion-dollar program of preferential treatment for the Negro, or for any other minority group?

King: I do indeed. Can any fair-minded citizen deny that the Negro has been deprived? Few people reflect that for two centuries the Negro was enslaved, and robbed of any wages — potential accrued wealth which would have been the legacy of his descendants. All of America’s wealth today could not adequately compensate its Negroes for his centuries of exploitation and humiliation. It is an economic fact that a program such as I propose would certainly cost far less than any computation of two centuries of unpaid wages plus accumulated interest. In any case, I do not intend that this program of economic aid should apply only to the Negro; it should benefit the disadvantaged of all races….

Playb0y: Do you feel it’s fair to request a multibillion-dollar program of preferential treatment for the Negr0, or for any other minority group?

King: I do indeed. Can any fair-minded citizen deny that the Negr0 has been deprived? Few people reflect that for two centuries the Negr0 was enslaved, and robbed of any wages — potential accrued wealth which would have been the legacy of his descendants. All of America’s wealth today could not adequately compensate its Negr0 for his centuries of exploitation and humiliation. It is an economic fact that a program such as I propose would certainly cost far less than any computation of two centuries of unpaid wages plus accumulated interest. In any case, I do not intend that this program of economic aid should apply only to the Negr0; it should benefit the disadvantaged of all races….

Honey, he’s not giving them $$, he is advocating a program that will enable them to preferentially have access to education where they will learn to create their own $$. The more you dig up, the more you prove what MLK, Jr. said, “..REDISTRIBUTE economic POWER.”

Now go dig up some more while I take my shower and walk the dog. I’ll be back to check on you to see if you’ve come up with anything else, k?

I might add some Taoism, Pagan idol worship, a few Gods from the Norse, Greek and Egyptian pantheons, Shinto ancestor worship and some traditional Chinese Confucian philosophy, which may not technically be a religion. Wouldn’t want to leave anyone out, that might be raaaaacist of me.

Honey, he’s not giving them $$, he is advocating a program that will enable them to preferentially have access to education where they will learn to create their own $$. The more you dig up, the more you prove what MLK, Jr. said, “..REDISTRIBUTE economic POWER.”

Now go dig up some more while I take my shower and walk the dog. I’ll be back to check on you to see if you’ve come up with anything else, k?

LEBA on June 1, 2010 at 1:31 AM

Are you mentally challenged?

And a second ago you were saying that his argument was not in favor of unequal treatment. Now you’re acknowledging that he wanted preferential treatment, a multi billion dollar program at that. You clearly don’t even understand what it is you’re discussing.

King implored his organization to develop a program that would compel the nation to have a guaranteed annual income and full employment, thus abolishing poverty, and he preached that “the Movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society.” When such a question was raised, one was really “raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth,” and thus, one was “question[ing] the capitalistic economy.” These words mark a profound transformation in King’s thinking.

Who is quoting whom. Who is interpreting for Dr. King? Do make that clear in your next adolescent fit.

While you are digging, I have a math problem for you. I’ll bring my bag of power to the table (option for unlimited wealth if you add your elbow greese) and you bring your bag of change to the table (maybe $200 if you clean out your car). Which brings more dignity after each has been split and shared 50/50 (redistributed). Careful, now. This is a tricky one!

Better yet, you can choose…1/2 the money or 1/2 the power. You can’t have both.

It’s not all that unbelievable that MLK was a Republican. During the civil rights era Republican didn’t necessarily mean conservative, or even right of center in some cases. Also, Jay E. Hoover went to considerable lengths to accuse MLK of communist sympathies, so it’s possible some of the things you’re qouting were part of that effort.

The Slate column is basically useless. The germ of it is right, that there is a Western form of conservatism that is somewhat different from, say, Southern conservatism. The description of Western conservatism isn’t totally off. But when he moves to discussing Southern conservatism, he veers off into nonsense. I’d say it’s a direct consequence of his certainty that anything Southern must be all about race.

Regardless, since the point of the article is to compare the Southern and Western branches of conservatism, and he doesn’t have a clue about what is Southern conservatism — he seems to think it was created by George Wallace — the article quickly becomes misguided rambling searching vainly for a point.

Throw in his conviction that conservatives are doomed in the long run, and the advice that we need a more moderate, liberal, and tolerant form of conservatism, and the article looks about as insightful as, say, Newsweek.

When the southern conservatives decide that a unified party is the preferable option and that moderate is not a dirty word big gains can be made. It is not the moderates pushing the conservatives away – it is the southern conservatives claiming differing opinions are not welcome.
BTW who was the most famous and loved Western Conservative? Ah yes I believe his name was Reagan, who coincidentally preached party unity.

After cogitating on this for 10 minutes this morning, and I say this without any proof whatsoever, but is it possible that Narutoboy is Allahpundit?
See, that’s the bad deal with the internet. You never know who you may be speaking to.
I have never, ever seen a troll that hangs around with people he can’t stand for as long as this guy. Not here, not Freerepublic, and certainly not Ace.
You are essentially correct, ‘boy. Although I am not gonna go back and re-read every single comment of yours, it’s not really your statements that are contradictory, but your philosophy.
If there was any serious truth to what you say you believe MLK was, Jackson, Sharpton, and every race pimp out there would be screaming from the rooftops refuting people like Jesse Lee Peterson, Thomas Sowell, NBRA, and others. With an oh so willing media helping them.

After cogitating on this for 10 minutes this morning, and I say this without any proof whatsoever, but is it possible that Narutoboy is Allahpundit?
See, that’s the bad deal with the internet. You never know who you may be speaking to.
I have never, ever seen a troll that hangs around with people he can’t stand for as long as this guy. Not here, not Freerepublic, and certainly not Ace.You are essentially correct, ‘boy. Although I am not gonna go back and re-read every single comment of yours, it’s not really your statements that are contradictory, but your philosophy.
If there was any serious truth to what you say you believe MLK was, Jackson, Sharpton, and every race pimp out there would be screaming from the rooftops refuting people like Jesse Lee Peterson, Thomas Sowell, NBRA, and others. With an oh so willing media helping them.

Politics is war, whether inter-party or intra-party. If you don’t go into it with that attitude, you have already lost.
The moderates have been pushing the Republican Party to the left for quite a while. The conservatives are pushing back, irritating the moderates and their liberal masters. The party cannot serve two masters. It will serve conservatism or liberalism. Conservatism calls for almost total opposition to the modern Dem agenda. Liberalism yields to the Democrats and shares their agenda. A liberal Republican Party is superfluous and destined to shrivel and die. The Dems would love nothing more.

Your handle links to the open group. Your profile is partially open to anyone. Check your settings and make sure you don’t have everyone or friends of friends set in any of your privacy settings. Should be set to friends only if you want maximum privacy.

I’m in a computer security occupation and pay attention to those things. If you recall I advised you a couple of months ago that your link at HA went straight to your FB profile. I’d advise taking the extra step to ensure you protect your privacy – nothing more and nothing less.

when you had your fb profile as your link on HA one could see your name if they clicked. I think you were in that group at one time and had associated your HA name in a discussion thread — not entirely sure if that is the case. But in the open group you are in now under discussions you did the same thing. Nothing wrong with that except your current fb settings give some clue as to your location/life by letting your wall posts be viewed by all.
N

Bradsky, that still doesn’t explain you’re supposed knowledge of HARP and Adena. And btw, just in case–I was banned from HARP, and I’m proud of it! I now belong to a group that doesnt ban anyone that has oppossing viewpoints from the mods over there. Just so you know, to put in your stalking file…

HARP was an open group originally and I read some of the discussion threads at that time – I believe she had posted. Any time you join or post in a group on fb your profile is visible to all members of closed group and/or anyone who goes to the open group. If you have not locked your settings down as I described you may be sharing more than you intended to.
Not sure why spending the effort to help someone protect their privacy would be considered stalking….

I can only speak for myself but I know so little about technology and safeguards that your warnings are scary. And the suggestions for fixing the problem are greek to me. This is why I don’t branch out.

Cindy, the reason so many regulars are gone is because of the “select” bannings. Seems some “favorites” are allowed to say what they want, and others are banned. Seems trolls are allowed to take over threads.

Cindy, the reason so many regulars are gone is because of the “select” bannings. Seems some “favorites” are allowed to say what they want, and others are banned. Seems trolls are allowed to take over threads.

lovingmyUSA on June 1, 2010 at 9:42 AM

Which is why it’s ironic that the alternative (aka The Free Speech Zone) was started by a group of people that were banned from HARP.

I don’t work with computers but it’s really not that difficult to make your settings secure. And like DarkCurrent said, you don’t even have to put real information on your profile. You don’t even have to use your real name.

But cowboy-style constitutional fundamentalism is unlikely to prove a winning philosophy for Republicans beyond 2010. For that, they need a conservatism that hasn’t been in evidence lately—a version that’s not Western or Southern, but instead tolerant, moderate, and mainstream.

Allah the Atheist: Sounds to me like what your describing is a RINO. That is far from what the party needs, it needs to get back to its roots of smaller government and more individual control and responsibility. I have lost all faith in your ability to be objective. Since Michelle no longer rides heard over you your pieces have gotten worse. If not for Ed I wouldn’t even visit this site anymore. Sad to say.

Did someone new get banned? I haven’t seen MB4 lately. As for trolls taking over the threads, we could stop that at anytime by ignoring them but is there anything more fun then to see Knucklehead, Hornetsting, thomassaur, etc. etc. chew them up and spit them out.